Ozone-based contaminant eradication system and method

ABSTRACT

A device and method is provided for converting oxygen within air into ozone. The device has a portable housing with an air inlet and an enhanced ozone air outlet. A lamp housing is positioned within the portable housing and has a plurality of UV lamps for emitting UV radiation, the plurality of UV lamps extending from one end of the lamp housing to the other in a generally parallel configuration. The device also has a blower positioned within the portable housing for moving the air into contact with UV radiation from the plurality of UV lamps. The device further includes a plurality of baffles positioned within the lamp housing for dispersing the air as the air moves through the lamp housing. The device can be used to eliminate odors and contaminants found in the air, as well as to eliminate oils and contaminants found in water and to kill insects.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/014,033 filed on Jan. 14, 2008 entitledOZONE-BASED CONTAMINANT ERADICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD, the contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to improved devices and methods forconverting oxygen into ozone, which are used to destroy and eliminateodors and contaminants that are often found in air, such as bacteria,molds, spores, fungus, and viruses, as well as to eliminate oils andcontaminants found in water and to kill insects, and more specifically,to devices and methods for producing high concentrations of ozone toclean indoor air, purify water, and destroy contaminants found onsurface areas in unoccupied spaces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Each Ozone (O₃) molecule consists of three oxygen atoms. Ozone is a paleblue gas at standard temperature and pressure, with an odor detectableat concentrations between 0.0076 and 0.036 parts per million (ppm).Depending on geographic location, altitude and season, natural ozoneconcentrations range typically from 0.01 to 0.05 ppm. Ozone isconsidered an air pollutant at ground-level. The U.S. Food and DrugAdministration prohibits devices that result in more than 0.050 ppm ofozone in occupied enclosed spaces.

Ozone is unstable at high concentrations and will convert to ordinarydiatomic oxygen (O₂). As a result ozone has a short life span and cannotbe stored and transported, and consequently it must be produced on site.Ozone generators were developed at least as early as 1857, and ozone hasbeen used in a variety of industries as an oxidizer and sterilizer. Forexample, ozone has been found to have many industrial and consumerapplications, such as cleaning indoor air and purifying water. Ozone hasalso been used to effectively disinfect drinking water, deodorize airand objects, kill bacteria on food and other surface areas, sanitizeswimming pool and spa, clean air in industrial plants, manufacturechemical compounds, treat industrial waste, as well as several otherindustrial and consumer applications, including pest control. Therequired concentration of ozone to oxidize and sterilize depends on theuse of the ozone and the desired results.

A number of machines that produce ozone for residential use have beendeveloped. For example, U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0263276 A1, thecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety,discloses an ozone generator for generating ozone and using that ozoneto clean indoor air, purify water and kill mold, spores and otherorganisms on surface areas in unoccupied spaces. The first embodiment ofthis ozone generator has a rectangular shaped housing with wheels, ahinged lid, an extendable handle, and a plurality of openings, includinginlets and outlets for air and ozone. This generator further has aremote control unit that is connected to the generator by a cableconnection, which allows the user to turn the generator on and off froma remote location. The '276 application further discloses that the ozonegenerator includes a rectangular housing with a plurality of openings toallow the flow of oxygen into the generator and flow of ozone out of thegenerator. The housing also includes a lamp housing holding ultraviolet(UV) lamps, as well as a blower. This ozone generator has severalpractical limitations. For example, air enters the ozone generator andis immediately placed in direct contact with the UV lamps rather thanbelow the UV lamps, which has the disadvantage of possibly causingoverheating of the system due to poor air circulation. Also, the '276application discloses that ozone exits the ozone generator prior toreaching the top UV lamp of fully circulating within the lamp housing.Thus, when using the ozone generator disclosed in the '276 application,the air does not fully circulate about each UV lamp prior to exiting thelamp housing and ozone generator, which prevents optimal ozoneconversion. In addition, the '276 application is also deficient inproviding an optimal outlet and inlet arrangement, further preventingmore efficient conversion of O₂ to O₃. The ‘ozone generator within the'276 application is deficient in providing optimal temperatureconstraints to more effectively produce the necessary O₃ concentrationlevels for many ozone generator applications to be commerciallyfeasible, or for which unnecessarily require many more ozone generatorsdue to the deficient performance of each ozone generator. Thus, there isa continuing need for a more effective ozone generator. The presentinvention is provided to solve these and other problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved ozone generator thatproduces high concentrations of ozone, and a method for operating theozone generator. In one embodiment, the ozone generator includes aportable housing with an air inlet and an ozone outlet, a rectangularultraviolet housing that fits inside the portable housing, a blowercontained within the portable housing, a set or plurality of baffles, aset or plurality of ballasts and a control unit with a timer foroperating the generator. The generator may also be operated using aremote control unit that does not connect to the housing for the ozonegenerator. The baffles are provided to enhance air circulation while theair flows through the ultraviolet lamp housing, which results in greaterozone conversion.

In yet another embodiment, the ozone generator has a portable housingwith an air inlet with a first diameter and an ozone outlet that has asecond diameter; a cylindrical or tubular ultraviolet housing that fitsinside the portable housing; a blower contained within the portablehousing; a set of baffles; and a control unit with a timer for operatingthe generator. The generator may also be operated using a remote controlunit that does not connect to the housing. The cylindrical ultraviolethousing comprises: an inlet; an outlet; a tube, wherein the tube has aninner wall and an outer wall, and the inner wall and outer wall have adistance between them, wherein the tube has a circumference; and a setof ultraviolet lamps that emit ultraviolet radiation, wherein the set ofultraviolet lamps are arranged equidistant around the circumference ofthe tube. The blower moves air into contact with radiation from the setof ultraviolet lamps.

In a further embodiment, is closed-loop control system for an ozonegenerator that produces ozone. The ozone generator and the controlsystem have a portable housing with an air inlet and an ozone outlet; anultraviolet housing that fits inside the portable housing; a controllerhaving an control application therein, implemented using amicroprocessor and software and/or a hard-wired logic circuitconfiguration, to optimize the production of ozone by the ozonegenerator. The closed loop controller can be programmed with a setpoint. When the controller receives an input signal, such as ozoneconcentration, the controller makes one or more comparisons of the inputsignal to the set point, and sends an output signal commensurate withthe comparison. One output signal can be an output signal to a variablespeed fan or blower contained within the portable housing, wherein thevariable speed blower moves air into contact with radiation from the setof ultraviolet lamps. The variable speed blower operates at anadjustable or variable speed. The output signal can control one or moreof the speed of the variable speed fan, the intensity of the UV lamps,the size of the opening (using an electrically adjustable value) orother controllable and adjustable elements that may affect ozoneconcentration. A control unit can also be provided with a timer foroperating the generator. The input signal can be generated by a meter.The meter can be located proximate the ozone outlet. The meter canmeasures the concentration of ozone flowing out the ozone outlet. Themeter sends the input signal to the closed loop controller for allowingfor continuous “closed-loop” control of the concentration of ozoneflowing out of the ozone outlet.

The invention is also directed to a method using an ozone generator thatconsists of the following steps. First, the ozone generator is placed inan unoccupied, enclosed space. The ozone generator comprises a portablehousing with an air inlet and an ozone outlet, an ultraviolet housingthat fits inside the portable housing, wherein the ultraviolet housingcontains a set of ultraviolet lamps that emit ultraviolet radiation, ablower contained within the portable housing, and a control unit with atimer that is connected to the housing for operating the generator.Second, the control unit is placed outside of the enclosed space toallow the user to operate the ozone generator without being exposed tothe high concentrations of ozone. Next, the power for the ozonegenerator is turned on. The user may set the timer so that the generatoroperates at a desired time interval to produce optimal ozone generation.The ozone generator is manually turned off or is automatically shut offafter the unoccupied, enclosed space has been exposed to highconcentrations of ozone for an optimal time. The ozone generator may beautomatically shut off by the timer. In a closed-loop controllerembodiment, the controller continuously monitors the ozone concentrationflowing out of the ozone outlet and continuously adjusts one or moreoutput devices, such as the fan speed, the intensity of the UV lampsand/or the size of an adjustable input value for optimizing theconcentration of the ozone flowing out of the ozone outlet.

A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, propertiesand relationships of the invention will be obtained from the followingdetailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth anillustrative embodiment and is indicative of the various ways in whichthe principles of the invention may be employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a front right perspective view of one embodiment of an ozonegenerator with an open lid;

FIG. 2 is a front right perspective view of the ozone generator of FIG.1 with a closed lid;

FIG. 3 is a right side elevation view of the generator of FIGS. 1 and 2without hose connections;

FIG. 4 is a left side elevation view of the generator of FIGS. 1 and 2without hose connections;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the generator of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the generator of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 7 is front elevation view of the generator of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of the generator of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the diverter of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a top view of one embodiment of an ultraviolet lamp housing;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the housing of FIG.6 having five UV bulbs;

FIG. 12 is a top view of the generator of FIG. 1 with the lid off,showing interior details;

FIG. 13 is a front right perspective view of the generator of FIG. 3with the phantomed housing;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective drawing of one embodiment of atimer/controller unit;

FIG. 15 is a front right perspective view of one embodiment of an ozonegenerator with an open lid;

FIG. 16 is a front right perspective view of the ozone generator of FIG.15 with a closed lid;

FIG. 17 is a right side elevation view of the generator of FIG. 16without hose connections;

FIG. 18 is a left side elevation view of the generator of FIG. 16without hose connections;

FIG. 19 is a rear elevation view of the generator of FIGS. 15 and 16;

FIG. 20 is a top view of the generator of FIGS. 15 and 16;

FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the generator of FIGS. 15 and 16;

FIG. 22 is front elevation view of the generator of FIGS. 15 and 16;

FIG. 23 is a front view of the diverter of FIG. 16;

FIG. 24 is a top view of one embodiment of an ultraviolet lamp housing;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the housing of FIG.24 having twelve UV bulbs;

FIG. 26 is a top view of the generator of FIG. 15 with the lid off,showing interior details;

FIG. 27 is a front right perspective view of the generator of FIG. 16with the phantomed housing; and

FIG. 28 is an enlarged perspective drawing of one embodiment of atimer/controller unit.

FIG. 29 is a functional flow diagram of another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 30 is a graph depicting ozone concentration vs. blower fan speedfor optimizing the ozone concentration.

FIG. 31 is a graph depicting temperature stability comparisons ofdifferent lamps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An improved ozone generator and method of use are provided to produceall natural high concentrations of ozone that effectively destroy andeliminate odors and contaminants that are often found in air, such asbacteria, molds, spores, fungus, and viruses, as well as to eliminateoils and contaminants found in water and to kill insects. Depending onthe configuration of the improved ozone generator, the ozone generatorcan produce concentrations of ozone up to and exceeding 200 parts permillion (ppm). The improved ozone generator and method use the highconcentrations of ozone to clean indoor air, purify water, and destroycontaminants found on surface areas in unoccupied spaces. The improvedozone generator and method is intended for use in unoccupied, enclosedspaces.

FIGS. 1 to 14 show one embodiment of an improved ozone generator thatoperates as a stand alone, portable ozone generator. An exemplaryembodiment is shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 with different views of an ozonegenerator 1 that is a portable ozone generator unit having a rectangularshaped housing 2 with a front end 3 and a rear end 4. One skilled in theart would recognize that other shaped housing may be used, such as anoctagon or square.

In FIG. 1 a housing 2 is shown that has wheels 5 a and 5 b on rear end4. One skilled in the art would recognize that other knownmobility-enhancing devices, such as rollers, may be used in place ofwheels. Housing 2 is made from a plastic copolymer. Housing 2 has ahinged lid 7 that is kept securely closed by latches 6 a and 6 b. Hingedlid 7 has a circular opening 40 on its rear end for ozone outlet 23 tofit through when the hinged lid is closed. A cap 42 may be used to closecircular opening 40 when the ozone generator 1 is not being used toprotect the ultraviolet lamps. Cap 42 may be connected to housing 2 by awire. Alternatively, circular opening 40 may be closed using anautomatic shutter rather than cap 42. Housing 2 also has an extendablehandle 8 on its front end 3 that allows ozone generator 1 to be moved bya pulling motion. Extendable handle 8 may have a grip 9 that makespulling ozone generator 1 simpler and more comfortable for the user.Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 14, a fixed handle may alternatively beused to move ozone generator 1.

FIG. 1 also shows a power cord 10 extending from front end 3. A cableconnection 11 also extends from front end 3, and is used to connect acontrol unit 12 to ozone generator 1. Power cord 10 and cable connection11 are attached to housing 2 through respective openings in housing 2.Housing 2 also has an air inlet 13 on front end 3 to allow for the flowof air into ozone generator 1. Air inlet 13 is centrally located belowextendable handle 8. Air inlet has a 2⅝ diameter. In one embodiment,control unit 12 has toggle switches 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c. Toggle switch12 a turns the power of ozone generator 1 on and off. Toggle switch 12 bturns a timer 37 on and off. Toggle switch 12 c allows a user tooverride settings of timer 37. Timer 37 may be any type of timer,including mechanical and digital timers. For example, timer 37 may be a24-hour mechanical timer that has 15 minute setting intervals that allowa user to operate ozone generator 1 at 15 minute intervals over a24-hour period. In another embodiment, front end 3 has toggle switches14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, and 14 e that turn ultraviolet lamps withinhousing 2 on and off. The number of toggle switches varies directly withthe number of ultraviolet lamps used. One skilled in the art willunderstand that other types of switches could be substituted for thetoggle switches. Although FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5 show cable connection 11,it is contemplated that a wireless remote control unit can also be usedto operate ozone generator 1. For example, in one embodiment, ozonegenerator is operated using a remote control, so that the user ispositioned outside of the enclosed space being treated and can operatethe ozone generator safely from outside the enclosed space that is beingtreated. The use of a wireless remote control unit is advantageousbecause it eliminates the need for cable connection 11. Control unit 12can also be used and placed inside the space being treated by settingtimer 37 to turn on and off the generator.

FIG. 2 has all of the elements of FIG. 1 and shows ozone generator 1with hinged lid 7 in a closed position. A diverter 16 is shown in FIG. 2that may be screwed onto ozone outlet 23 to allow for air with highconcentrations of ozone to flow outside housing 2. Diverter 16 may bemade from Schedule 80 piping. In an exemplary view, hinged lid 7 has ahandle 15 that provides for lifting ozone generator 1.

FIG. 3 provides a view of the right side of ozone generator 1. Theextendable function of extendable handle 8 is further illustrated inFIG. 3. FIG. 4 provides a view of the left side of ozone generator 1. Inone embodiment, housing 2 is approximately 22 inches long, 16 incheshigh, and 14 inches wide. One skilled in the art would easily recognizeother sizes and configurations for the unit housing and that the presentinvention is not limited to any specific dimensions.

FIG. 5 is a top view of ozone generator 1 with handle 15 and diverter 16of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 shows the bottom side of ozone generator 1.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of ozone generator 1 showing housing 2with air inlet 13. In an exemplary embodiment, air inlet 13 is acircular orifice that is approximately 2⅝ inches in diameter. Air fromthe enclosed space to be treated enters air inlet 13, then proceeds to ablower 32 (not shown). Blower 32 causes the air to enter UV lamp housing20 (not shown in this figure) at the inlet of the UV lamp housing 20,where the air is converted to ozone gas by the radiation omitted fromthe set of ultraviolet lamps 27 (not shown in this figure).

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of ozone generator 1 showing housing 2and diverter 16 for outbound ozone.

FIG. 9 provides a front view of the diverter 16 of FIG. 2. When usingozone generator 1, hinged lid 7 is closed and diverter 16 is screwedonto ozone outlet 23. Diverter 16 has ozone outlets 19 a and 19 b forexit of ozone from ozone generator 1. Ozone outlets 19 a and 19 bprovide back pressure to prevent dissipation of ozone prior to exitingozone generator 1, and to ensure that the ozone has the highestconcentration possible. Ozone outlets 19 a and 19 b have ⅜ inchdiameters.

FIG. 10 is a top view of ultraviolet (UV) lamp housing 20 that is placedinside ozone generator 1. UV lamp housing 20 consists of a casing madefrom a polymer that surrounds a set of ultraviolet lamps 27. Thecasing's polymer may be polypropylene sheets. When viewed from the top,lamp ballast 21 is connected to rear end 24 of UV lamp housing 20 viaconnectors. Lamp ballasts may also be placed outside housing 2 ratherthan inside as shown in FIG. 10. The following table provides theelectrical specifications for the connectors.

Rated Wattage 40 Watts Operating Voltage 86 Volts Nominal OperatingCurrent 610 mA UV Output @ 254 nm 10 Watts Intensity @ Meter 95Microwatts/cm² @ 0 hour Rated Life 9;000 hrs.

Lamp ballasts provide the power for ultraviolet lamps 27 that arecontained within UV lamp housing 20. The bottom of UV lamp housing 20has an air inlet, and the top of UV lamp housing 20 has an ozone outlet23. Preferably, air inlet is 2⅝ inches in diameter and ozone outlet is 1inch in diameter. Air will enter air inlet at a flow rate of 100 cfm,and ozone will exit ozone outlet at a flow rate of 35 cm. However, theair inlet and ozone outlet vary depending on the size of the UV lamphousing, the type of blower used, and the number of ultraviolet lampswithin the UV lamp housing.

Lamp ballasts 21 are also used to regulate the flow of power through theultraviolet lamps. One lamp ballast is used per ultraviolet lamp that ishoused within the UV lamp housing. The operating temperature by theozone generator is 15 to 40° C. The optimal ambient temperature forlamps ranges from 20 to 25° C., and should be maintained consistentwhere ozone generator is operating. In order to ensure optimalcirculation of air entering ozone generator 1 and maximize theconversion of air into ozone, it is essential that the ambienttemperature of the UV lamps not exceed 40° C. Therefore, thermalswitches are used on the lamp ballasts to allow the ozone generator'suser to turn off the lamp ballasts when the operating temperature rangeexceeds 40° C. This feature of the invention prevents damage to theozone generator while it is operating.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of UV lamp housing 20of FIG. 6 taken along the indicated line. In an exemplary embodiment,the set ultraviolet lamps 27 has five ultraviolet lamps, each of whichemits ultraviolet radiation, is positioned within the casing of UV lamphousing 20. The ultraviolet lamps are arranged vertically in parallelwithin the UV lamp housing with a top lamp 25 and a bottom lamp 26. Thisembodiment also provides for sets of ultraviolet lamps comprised of 1 to20 lamps, but more lamps may be used with this ozone generator ifdesired, depending on blower type, inlet and outlet sizes, humidity, andtemperature. The arrangement and spacing of the lamps is such that thereis at least one inch between UV lamp housing 20 and top lamp 25, and atleast two inches between UV lamp housing 20 and bottom lamp 26. In oneembodiment, the space between each ultraviolet lamp within the set 27 ofUV lamps is at least two (2) inches to ensure that the air circulatesaround each ultraviolet lamp prior to exiting outlet 23, preferably, thespace between each ultraviolet lamp is two inches. The two inch spacingaccommodates the air inlet 22 at the bottom, front of UV lamp housing20, and ozone outlet at the top, and rear of UV lamp housing 20. Airinlet 22 is placed below bottom lamp 26, and ozone outlet 23 is placedabove top lamp 25. Also shown in FIG. 11 are lamp connectors 28 thatattach ultraviolet lamps 27 to lamp ballast 21 of FIG. 10.

Air enters air inlet 22 and flows around each lamp in the set ofultraviolet lamps 27 prior to exiting housing 20 from ozone outlet 23.Air is thus exposed to radiation from each ultraviolet lamp to allow theoxygen in the air to be converted into ozone when exposed to theradiation from the ultraviolet lamps. The ozone gas then exits thehousing from ozone outlet 23, which must be placed above top lamp 25.The high concentration of ozone flows through the ozone outlet 23 intodiverter 16, where it flows through ozone outlets 19 a and 19 b into thespace being treated.

FIG. 12 shows the interior detail of the components of ozone generator 1with hinged lid 7 removed. Blower 32 pulls air into ozone generator 1through air inlet 13. An exemplary blower is one that is quiet andcapable of moving one hundred (100) cubic feet of air per minute (100cfm). Various fans can be used for implementing the present invention.In addition, a variable speed fan (with a variable speed drive) can beused to implement the present invention. These types of blowers/fans anddrives are well known. One of ordinary skill would recognize that thetype of blower used will vary with the size of the generator and numberof ultraviolet lamps used. A wiring box 33 can be positioned adjacentthe blower 32. The wiring box 33 can have a electrical connector 34 forwired connection of the wiring box 33 to the an auxiliary lamp housingassembly. The wiring box 33 can also have a connector 11 for wiredconnection of the wiring box 33 to a power cord 10 which provides powerto the ozone generator. The wiring box 33 can also has a secondconnector 36 for wired connection of the wiring box to the UV lampballast(s) 21, and a third connector 35 for wired connection of thewiring box 33 to the lamp housing 20. In one embodiment, one side of thehousing 2, toward the latch of the housing, contains UV lamp housing 20.The housing 2, toward the wheels, also contains the lamp ballast 21.Ozone generator has a set of baffles, such as in a rectangular shape,(not shown in FIG. 12) to redirect air flow in order to enhance aircirculation within the lamp housing 20. Other baffle shapes, such ascurved, winged, or other shapes and configurations, can be used toenhance air flow/circulation within the lamp housing. The use of bafflesin the housing increases the probability that air will more fullycirculate about the UV lamps and more efficiently be converted to ozone.

FIG. 13 is a front right perspective view of ozone generator 1 with thehousing 2 phantomed. An air inlet 13 is connected (in an air flowmanner) to blower 32. Air flowing into ozone generator 1 is representedby arrow C. When ozone generator 1 is operating, air flows from the airinlet 13, by way of the blower 32, through the UV lamp housing 20. TheUV light from the UV lamps interact with the air and ozone gas isproduced at concentrations. In one embodiment the ozone concentration isat least 75 ppm of O₃.

With continued reference to FIG. 1 and reference to FIG. 14, controlunit 12 can be used to control the operation of ozone generator 1 bydirectly switching on or off blower 32, ultraviolet lamps 27, or othercomponents, as desired. For example, FIG. 14 shows control unit 12 whichis configured with timer 37 that can be set for starting and stoppingthe operation of ozone generator 1 from a remote location. As mentionedthe control unit can be connected to the ozone generator housing via awired connection. Each of three toggle switches 12 a, 12 b, 12 ccorresponds to and is electrically connected to an electrical connectionin wiring box 23 and in one embodiment, is positioned next to a lightwhich indicates when the switch is turned on and off. As describedabove, first toggle switch 12 a turns on power, second toggle switch 12b turns on timer 27, and third toggle switch 12 c provides an overridefunction. The override function allows the user to keep the generatorrunning despite the programmed setting for timer 37. Cable connector 11is used to connect control unit 12 to ozone generator 1. In oneembodiment, the cable is 50 feet long. Other lengths can be used, suchas a longer length when the control unit 12 should be placed furtheraway from the ozone generator, for at least safety concerns. Thus, thelength may vary depending on the location of control unit 12 in relationto ozone generator 1.

In another embodiment, the ozone generator can include one or morecontrollers (not shown) having a control application running therein forcontrolling the operation of the ozone generator. The controller (in thehousing) can be connected to all output devices and all input devices ofthe ozone generator, and control the operation of the output devicesbased on the signals and information received from the input devices. Inone embodiment, a second controller can be connected to the switches andother input devices within the control unit 12 and can also be connectedto the output devices within the control unit 12. The control unit 12can also have an LCD display connected to the controller therein fordisplaying the current state, status and/or values of all input andoutput devices of the ozone generator, at any point in time duringoperation of the ozone generator. To provide this information to theremote control unit, such as the LCD display therein, in one embodiment,a first radio frequency (RF) transceiver can be connected to thecontroller within the ozone generator housing, and a second RFtransceiver can be connected to the controller within the control unit12, for transmitting information about the status of operation of theozone generator from the controller within the housing to the controllerwithin the control unit 12. The controller within the control unit 12can then passes the status information to the LCD display within thecontrol unit 12 for displaying such information to a user. The ozonegenerator can also have an LCD display connected to the controllertherein, and visible from outside the housing of the ozone generator,for displaying the status of the operation of the ozone generator at anypoint in time, including the status, state and/or values of all of theinput devices and output devices.

Referring additionally to FIG. 29, the ozone generator 1 can also have aclosed loop application running 3006 on or executing within thecontroller 3002, to automatically control the concentration of the ozonebeing generated by the ozone generator. Specifically, in one embodiment,the controller transmits a fan speed signal 3008 to the blower 3010 orfan to control the speed of the blower 3010 after determining theoptimal speed for the blower 3010 based on one or more inputs, such asan ozone sensor or meter 3014 which can be positioned proximate theozone outlet. Alternatively or additionally, the controller 3002 and theclosed loop application 3006 therein can be configured to control theintensity of the UV lamps 3020 and/or an adjustable air inlet valve (notshown) at the air inlet of the ozone generator and/or an air outletvalve (not shown) at the air or ozone outlet of the ozone generator 1.The ozone meter 3014 measures the concentration of ozone or a variablewhich can be used by the controller to calculate the ozone levelproximate the outlet, such as the amount of ozone in parts per millionexiting the ozone generator. The meter continuously monitors the ozonelevel proximate the outlet, and the controller receives an input signalfrom the meter providing ozone generation level information, and asstated above continuously controls at least one of the outputs, such asthe speed of the blower, the intensity of the UV lamps, the size of theinlet valve, and/or the size of the outlet valve, to optimize the ozoneconcentration exiting the ozone outlet, in a closed loop configuration.

For example, the controller 3002 and closed loop application 3006therein, can be programmed with an algorithm which will reduce the speedof the blower 3008 when increasing/reducing the speed of the blower 3008provides a reduced/increased concentration of ozone leaving the ozoneoutlet of the ozone generator, respectively. Likewise, the controller3002 and closed loop application 3006 therein, can be programmed with analgorithm which will increase the speed of the blower 3008 whenreducing/increasing the speed of the blower 3008 provides areduced/increased concentration of ozone leaving the ozone outlet of theozone generator, respectively. Similarly, the controller 3002 and closedloop application 3006 therein, can be programmed within an algorithmwhich will reduce the intensity of the UV lamps 3012 whenincreasing/reducing the intensity of the UV lamps 3012 reduces/increasesthe concentration of ozone leaving the ozone outlet of the ozonegenerator. Likewise, the controller 3002 and closed loop application3006 therein, can be programmed within an algorithm which will increasethe intensity of the UV lamps 3012 when increasing/reducing theintensity of the UV lamps 3012 increases/reduces the concentration ofozone leaving the ozone outlet of the ozone generator. A similaralgorithm can be provided for controlling the size of inlet and/oroutlet/ozone valve openings to provide optimal ozone concentrationleaving the ozone generator 1. When there is no or little (less than apredetermined amount) affect on ozone concentration when an outputsignal provided to an output device from the controller is varied, thealgorithm can be configured to maintain the output signal(s) to theoutput devices. In one embodiment, this maintaining of the currentsignals to the output devices is only performed if the controller hasalready determined that an increase of ozone concentration has increasedmore than a predetermined amount and/or the rate of (change) increase ofthe ozone concentration is greater than a predetermined rate of changeamount. The algorithm(s) can be also be configured to include otherderivative or integration control in order to tune or optimize the ozoneconcentration leaving the ozone generator 1. The controller 3002,control application 3006 and respective user interface can be configuredto receive at least minimum and/or target ozone concentration set pointparameters for the ozone generator to achieve. Utilizing minimum and/ortarget set points can assist in significantly reducing “hunting” foroptimal ozone concentrations, especially when utilizing derivativeand/or integration control.

The ozone generator 1 can also include other input devices tocontinuously measure variables such as air volume flow or air speed 3030of air entering the air inlet and/or exiting the ozone outlet, and thecontroller 3002 and closed loop control application 3006 therein cansimilarly receive and use this information to determine the appropriateoutput signals to send or transmit to the one or more output devices tooptimize the ozone being generated by the ozone generator 1. Likewise,the ozone generator 1 can also include further input devices tocontinuously measure variables such as UV lamp temperature or thetemperature of the air proximate the lamps or within the lamp housing3040, and the controller 3002 and closed loop control application 3006therein can similarly receive and use this information to determine theappropriate output signals to send or transmit to the one or more outputdevices to optimize the ozone being generated by the ozone generator 1.In addition, the ozone generator 1 can further include input devices tocontinuously measure variables such as internal ozone generatorhumidity, external (working space) humidity, and/or humidity within lamphousing, and the controller 3002 and closed loop control application3006 therein can similarly receive and use this information to determinethe appropriate output signals to send or transmit to the one or moreoutput devices to optimize the ozone being generated by the ozonegenerator 1.

The ozone generator 1 can also include a global positioning system (GPS)to allow users to easily track the location of the ozone generator. Thisfeature is beneficial to at least owners of ozone generators that leasethe ozone generators to third parties who treat various structures. AGPS receiver can be connected to the controller 3002 for providing thecontroller 3002 with the current location coordinates of the ozonegenerator 1. The ozone generator 1 can also include a radio frequency(RF) transmitter for communicating the current GPS location coordinatesreceived by the controller to a remote communication device, such as acellular network, the internet or other communication network, forfurther transmission to a client computer, cell phone, PDA, or othercommunication device that can be used to generate one or more ozonegenerator tracking interface screens. The tracking screens can include amapping overlay, and can include ozone generator points (flags/icons)which indicate the identity of each specific ozone generator and thecurrent location of each ozone generator. Each controller of each ozonegenerator 1 can also be configured to transmit status information to thecommunication network and onto the remote interface device, fordisplaying the status information for each respective ozone generator onone or more interface screens on the remote interface device. In oneembodiment, the remote interface application generating the interfacescreens on the remote interface device can be configured to allow theuser to click on or selected a particular ozone generator from themapping (location) screen or other interface screen providing a list ofthe ozone generators 1 to choose from, and the stats information for theselected ozone generator 1 will appear a same or new interface screen.The status information communicated by the controller of the ozonegenerator and displayed on the remote interface screen of the remotedevice, can include for example, whether the ozone generator iscurrently turned on, whether the ozone generator is generating ozone,the ozone concentration of the ozone being generated by the ozonegenerator, the speed of the fan, intensity of the UV lamps, the size ofthe inlet and/or outlet, any temperatures being measured, any air speedsor volumes being measured, any humidity being measured, and/or any inputvalues being measured, if in operation—the time that the ozone generatorhas been operating, a log of each of the above status information storedand displayed at predetermined intervals for the current (and previous)ozone generation jobs, a history of all of this status information forall prior ozone generation jobs, a schedule of where and when all priorjobs took place, and a scheduler for future jobs. The owner or the ozonegenerators can provide clients or customers remote access to this statusinformation and other functions, such as scheduling functions, over theinternet, through a direct dial up connection or through anotherconnection, for example through a remote server which tracks and storesall of the above and other status information and provides the above andother functions to such clients and customers.

An advantage of ozone generation using UV lamps is that no static chargeor residue is produced. Preferably the present invention uses a categoryof UV lamps known as amalgam lamps. Amalgam lamps contain no mercury andhave benefits over other types of UV lamps, such as standard UV orgermicidal (GHO) lamps, such as better stability, longer life and higherpower output. The optimal operating temperature for air surrounding thelamps is 20 to 25° C. As reflected in FIG. 31, the performance of theamalgam lamps will decrease as the temperature of the air surroundingthe lamps goes above or below 20 to 25° C. One skilled in the art wouldrecognize, however, that the present invention is not limited to usingamalgam lamps over other UV lamps.

While a preferred blower in the present invention has the capacity tomove 100 cfm, the selection of a blower is not a limitation herein. Whenusing a non-variable speed blower, a person skilled in the art couldeasily choose a blower with the appropriate capacity based on designspecifications to meet specific ozone generation requirements, and tooptimize performance. As indicated above, the concentration of ozone canbe controlled by the volume of air pushed through the lamp housingassemblies containing UV lamps. In one embodiment, as the volume of airincreases, the concentration of the ozone increases; and as the volumeof air decreases, the concentration of the ozone decreases. In oneembodiment, ambient air flow of approximately 35 cfm produces ozone at aconcentration of about 79 ppm.

Similar to FIGS. 1-14, FIGS. 15-28 show a further embodiment of aportable ozone generator, only which utilizes a cylindrical or tubularlamp housing rather than the rectangular lamp housing depicted in FIGS.1-14. FIGS. 15-28 show an exemplary embodiment of an ozone generator 38that is a portable ozone generator unit having a housing 39 with a frontend 46 and a rear end 41. The housing 39 has wheels 47 a and 47 b (notshown) attached to the rear end 41. The housing 39 also has a hinged lid42 that can be kept securely closed by latches 43 a and 43 b. The hingedlid 42 has a circular opening 48 through the rear end 41 through whichthe ozone outlet 45 exits the housing 39. A cap 44 may be used to closecircular opening 48 when the ozone generator is not in use. Cap 44 maybe connected to housing 39 by a wire. Alternatively, circular opening 48may be closed using an automatic shutter rather than cap 44. Housing 39also has an extendable handle 51 on its front end 46 that allows ozonegenerator 38 to be moved by pulling ozone generator 58. Extendablehandle 51 may have a grip 52 to make pulling the ozone generator 38easier and more comfortable for the user. Although not shown in FIG. 15,a fixed handle may alternatively be used to move ozone generator 38.

FIG. 15 also shows a power cord 53 extending from front end 46. A cableconnection 54 also extends from front end 46, and is used to connect acontrol unit 55 to the ozone generator 38. Power cord 53 and cableconnection 54 are attached to housing 39 through respective openings inhousing 38. Housing 38 also has an air inlet 56 on front end 46 to allowfor the flow of air into ozone generator 38. Air inlet 56 is centrallylocated below extendable handle 51. In one embodiment, the air inlet 56has a 2⅝ diameter. In a further embodiment, the control unit 55 hastoggle switches 55 a, 55 b, and 55 c. Toggle switch 55 a turns the powerof ozone generator 38 on and off. Toggle switch 55 b turns a timer 74 onand off. Toggle switch 55 c allows a user to override settings of timer74. Timer 74 may be any type of timer, including mechanical and digitaltimers. For example, timer 74 may be a 24-hour mechanical timer that has15 minute setting intervals that allow a user to operate ozone generator1 at 15 minute intervals over a 24-hour period. In another embodiment,front end 46 has toggle switches 57 a, 57 b, 57 c, 57 d, and 57 e thatturn ultraviolet lamps within housing 39 on and off. The number oftoggle switches can vary directly with the number of UV lamps used. Oneskilled in the art will be understand that other types of switches knownin the art could be substituted for the toggle switches without alteringthe invention. Although FIG. 15 shows cable connection 54, it iscontemplated that a wireless remote control unit can also be used tooperate ozone generator 38, as described above. For example, in oneembodiment, ozone generator can be operated using a remote control, sothat the user is positioned outside of the enclosed space being treatedand the user can operate the ozone generator safely from outside of theenclosed space being treated. The use of a wireless remote control unitis advantageous because it eliminates the need for cable connection 54.

The ozone generator 38 of FIG. 16 includes all of the elements of theozone generator 38 of FIG. 15 and shows the ozone generator 38 with thehinged lid 42 in a closed position. A diverter 49 may be screwed ontoozone exhaust outlet 45 to allow for the flow of ozone from inside thehousing 39. The diverter 49 may be made from Schedule 80 piping. In anexemplary view, the hinged lid 42 has a handle 58 that provides forlifting ozone generator 38.

FIG. 17 provides a view of the right side of the ozone generator 38. Theextendable function of extendable handle 51 is also illustrated in FIG.17.

FIG. 18 provides a view of the left side of ozone generator 38. In oneembodiment, housing 39 is approximately 22 inches long, 16 inches high,and 14 inches wide. One skilled in the art would easily recognize othersizes, shapes, and configurations are possible for the housing and thepresent invention is not limited to any specific sizes, shapes,configurations, or dimensions.

FIG. 19 is a rear elevation view of generator 38 showing housing 39 anddiverter 49 for outbound ozone. FIG. 20 is a top view of ozone generator38 with handle 58 and diverter 49. FIG. 21 shows the bottom side ofozone generator 38.

FIG. 22 is a front elevation view of ozone generator 38 showing housing39 with air inlet 56. In an exemplary embodiment, air inlet 56 is acircular orifice that is approximately 2⅝ inches in diameter. Air fromthe enclosed space to be treated enters air inlet 56, then proceeds toblower 67 (not shown) which causes air to enter lamp housing 60 (notshown). The air is converted to ozone gas by the set of ultravioletlamps 61 (not shown) as it circulates around the ultraviolet lamps 61 inthe lamp 60 housing. After ozone is created, it will exit via ozoneoutlet 64 to ozone exhaust outlet 45 to diverter 49, and then to outsideozone generator 38 into the space being treated.

FIG. 23 provides a front view of diverter 49 of FIG. 16. When usingozone generator 38, hinged lid 42 is closed and diverter 49 is screwedonto ozone exhaust outlet 45. Diverter 49 has ozone outlets 59 a and 59b for exit of ozone from ozone generator 38. Ozone outlets 59 a and 59 bprovide back pressure to prevent dissipation of ozone prior to exitingozone generator 38, and to ensure that the ozone maintains the highestconcentration possible. In one embodiment, the ozone outlets 59 a and 59b have ⅜ inch diameters.

FIG. 24 is a top view of one UV lamp housing 60. The lamp housing 60shown is cylindrical and has an air inlet 63 and an ozone outlet 64. Theair inlet 63 and the ozone outlet 64 in the lamp housing 60 of FIG. 24are positioned at the center of each side of the lamp housing 60.Preferably, in one embodiment, the air inlet 63 is 2⅝ inches indiameter, and the ozone outlet 64 is 1 inch in diameter. However, thediameters of the air inlet and ozone outlet will vary depending on thesize of UV lamp housing, the type of blower ballasts and the number ofUV lamps within the UV lamp housing, among other possible variables. Inoperation, air enters the air inlet 63 and generally flows down or alongthe center of the lamp housing 60, generally along path indicated byline C shown in FIG. 24. After the air, or components thereof, isconverted to ozone, the ozone will exit lamp housing at ozone outlet 64.Path C is generally representative of the flow of air entering and ozoneexiting the housing. In one embodiment, a fan or blower 67 is placedproximate the air inlet 63 for forcing or causing the air to move alongthe line or path C. The blower 67 pulls outside air into ozone generator38 through air inlet 56. Although the air generally moves in thedirection of path C, the blower 67 causes air to circulate in variousdirections within the UV lamp housing for improved air circulationaround the UV lamps as air flows down or along the lamp housing 60 toozone outlet 64.

The UV lamp housing 60 shown in FIG. 24 has an inner surface 65, and anouter surface 66. In one embodiment, the distance between inner surfaceand outer surface is ⅜ inches. The UV lamp housing 60 can have a casingmade from a polymer that surrounds UV lamps 61. In one embodiment, thepolymer is a polypropylene in sheet form. The UV lamp housing 60 canhouse between 1 and 20 UV lamps, depending at least on the diameter ofthe UV lamp housing 60 and the size of the UV lamps, but more lamps maybe used. In one embodiment, the lamp housing 60 has a diameter of 12inches. As indicated, the number of UV lamps used within the lamphousing 60 and ozone generator 38 may vary. When viewed from a top view,the lamp ballasts 62 shown in FIG. 24 are connected to the rear end oflamp housing 60 for each UV lamp. The lamp ballasts provide power forthe UV lamps contained within the lamp housing 60 via connectors,similar to prior embodiments described herein, such as the embodimentshown in FIG. 10.

As in prior embodiments of ozone generator 1 depicted in FIGS. 1-14, thelamp ballasts of FIG. 24 regulate the flow of power through the UVlamps. One lamp ballast is used per ultraviolet lamp that is housedwithin lamp housing. Lamp ballasts may also be placed outside thehousing 39. In one embodiment, the optimal ambient temperature of airentering the lamp housing 60 and proximate the ballasts is 20 to 25° C.Air exceeding 40° C. may prevent maximum or optimal conversion of air orcomponents thereof into ozone. As such, switches can be used inconnection with (and can be connected to) the lamp ballasts to allow theozone generator's user to turn off the lamp ballasts when the operatingtemperature range exceeds the operating temperature range. This featureof the invention helps to prevent damage to the ozone generator. In afurther embodiment, instead of or in addition to these manual switches,the ozone generator 38 can include automatic switching thermal switchesconnected to the lamp ballasts between the power source and eachballasts for shutting off power to each ballast when the temperatureexceeds the operating temperature range. Alternatively, these switchescan be connected to the controller shown on FIG. 30. A temperaturesensor (input) can be connected to the controller for transmitting atemperature signal to the controller. The controller can then determinewhether the received temperature signal indicates that the temperatureis greater than a predetermined temperature. If the temperature isgreater than the predetermined temperature, then the controller can senda signal to one or more of the switches for toggling one or more of theswitches to shutting off or cutting off power to one or more of theballasts, for preventing damage to the ozone generator and/or reducinghazards which could end up causing a fire.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional front view of lamp housing 60 of FIG. 24.In an exemplary embodiment, a set of twelve ultraviolet lamps 61, eachof which emits UV radiation, is positioned equidistant around the innersurface 65 of the lamp housing 60. In one embodiment, the spacing of theUV lamps about the inner circumference of the inner surface 65 is suchthat there is at least one inch between the inner surface 65 and each UVlamp, and such that there is at least two inches between eachultraviolet lamp to ensure optimal air circulation around and about eachUV lamp. Preferably, the distance between each UV lamp ranges from 2 to2.5 inches, and the distance between each UV lamp and the inner surface65 ranges from 1 to 2 inches. Air enters air inlet 63 and flows aroundand about the UV lamps prior to exiting the lamp housing 60 from ozoneoutlet 64. The air is thus exposed to radiation from the UV lamps toallow the oxygen in the air to be converted to ozone as a result of theair's exposure to the UV lamps. In one embodiment, the space betweeneach individual UV lamp 61 is at least two inches. Although not shown inFIG. 25, each UV lamp has lamp connectors that attach the ultravioletlamps 61 to the lamp ballasts 62 of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 shows the interior detail of the components of the ozonegenerator 38 with hinged lid 42 removed. The blower 67 therein pulls orcreates a force that sucks air into ozone generator 38 through air inlet56. An exemplary blower is one that is quiet and capable of moving 100cubic feet of air per minute (100 cfm). One skilled in the art wouldrecognize that the type of blower used can vary based on at least thesize of the ozone generator and number of lamps used. Similar to theembodiments in FIGS. 1-14, a wiring box is positioned in the housing,and can be positioned behind blower unit 67, and can contain a connectorfor an auxiliary lamp housing assembly, a connection for cableconnection 54 and power cord 53, a second connector for lamp ballast 62,and third connector for lamp housing 60. The latch side of housing 39contains UV lamp housing 60, and the wheel side of housing 39 containslamp ballast 62. The ozone generator 38 can also have a set of bafflespositioned at the entrance to the UV lamp housing (either just outsideof or just inside of the lamp housing) to force the air coming intocontact with the baffles to disperse, in order to improve aircirculation within the UV lamp housing, which may also assist inpreventing the ozone generator from overheating. Various shapes ofbaffles can be used, including, for example, fan shaped baffles,propeller shaped baffles, winged shaped baffles, shutter shaped baffles,and other shaped baffles.

FIG. 27 is a front right perspective view of ozone generator 38 with thehousing 39 phantomed. At the front, air inlet 56 connects to blower unit67. Air flowing into ozone generator 38 is represented by arrow A. Theair flows at a rate that varies with the size of the ozone generator, sothat a larger ozone generator will have a higher flow rate. In oneembodiment, when ozone generator 38 is operating, air flows through lamphousing 60 where the ozone gas is produced at concentrations of at least75 ppm. When diverter 49 is screwed onto ozone outlet 45 to connectdiverter 49 to lamp housing 60 during ozone generator operation, airhaving increased ozone content is released through ozone outlets 59 aand 59 b.

The control unit 55 shown in FIG. 28 can be used to remotely control theoperation of ozone generator 38 by directly switching on or off blower67, UV lamps 61, or other components, as desired. For example, FIG. 28shows the control unit 55 configured with a timer 74 that can be set forstarting and stopping the operation of ozone generator 38 from a remotelocation. Each of three toggle switches 55 a, 55 b, 55 c corresponds toan electrical connection in wiring box 70 and is positioned proximate toa light which indicates when the switch is turned on or off. In oneexample, first toggle switch 55 a turns on blower 67, second toggleswitch 55 b controls ultraviolet lamps 61, and third toggle switch 55 ccontrols timer 74. Cable connector 54 is used to connect control unit 55to ozone generator 38. Depending on the distance from the user'slocation and the ozone generator, the cable connector's length may vary.For example, the cable connector may be 50 feet in length. One of skillin the art can better understand the structure and operation of thepresent control unit and with reference to the control unit of thepreviously described embodiments herein, as well the respective portionsof the ozone generator.

The UV lamp housing, in rectangular, cylindrical or other shapedembodiments, may be single modular units that can be easily removed andreplaced. This feature allows users to replace the UV lamp housingwithout replacing the entire unit. As such, in order to replace the UVlamps on a periodic basis, in one embodiment of the present invention,the following configuration and method can be utilized. When a user orother individual opens the lid of the ozone generator, such individualcan gain access to the UV lamp housing. In one embodiment, the UV lamphousing can be connected to a power source and/or ballasts through asingle connection, which can be a plug or other releasably attachableconnection from the power source/ballasts to the UV lamp housing and UVlamps therein. This releasably attachable connection can have separateleads running from each ballast to each of the UV lamps within the UVlamp housing, such that all connections from the ballasts to the UVlamps can be connected and disconnected from the one releaseablyattachable connection. This one connection allows for ease of removal ofthe UV lamp housing. In addition, the UV lamp housing can be connectedto the interior of the ozone generator housing a releasably attachableclamp or other means for releasably attaching the UV lamp housing to theozone generator housing. Mechanisms similar to base stations for laptopcomputers can be utilized for releasably attaching the UV lamp housingto the ozone generator housing, which can use a lever to release and/orsecure moveable arms our of and into grooves, notches, slots and/orother openings within he UV lamp housing. The arms can engage thegrooves, notches, slots and/or other openings when the lever is notextended, and disengage the grooves, notches, slots and/or otheropenings when the lever is extended or pulled. This is one example ofhow the UV lamp housing can easily be configured for engagement anddisengagement from the ozone generator housing. Thus, in one embodiment,in order to remove the UV lamp housing from the ozone generator toreplace the UV lamps or perform some other maintenance activity, theuser need only open the lip to obtain access to the UV lamp housing,disconnect the single connector for electrical disengagement of the UVlamp housing from the ozone generator, and pull the lever, which willdisengage one or more arms from the one or more grooves, notches, slotsand/or other openings, for physical disengagement of the UV lamp housingfrom the ozone generator housing. The opposite can be performed toinstall a new UV lamp housing having new preloaded UV lamps therein. Inan alternative embodiment, a separate releasably attachable connectorcan be used between each ballast and the UV lamp housing for each UVlamp therein to connect and disconnect the UV lamp housing from theozone generator, to more easily replace the UV lamps by replacing the UVlamp housing all at once.

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method ofreplacing UV lamps within an ozone generator. Instead of replacing UVlamps individually or providing UV lamps to users of ozone generators toreplace UV lamps one at a time, an ozone generator manufacturer ordistributor can distribute UV lamp housings, which match previouslydistributed UV lamp housings within previously distributed ozonegenerators, having preloaded new UV lamps therein. Once received by theusers of the ozone generators, the UV lamp housings with preloaded newUV lamps therein can be used to replace the old or used UV lamp housingsand old or used UV lamps therein, in order to service the ozonegenerators in a more efficient manner. Once the UV lamp housings arereceived with the new UV lamps therein, the user, as indicated above,can open the lid of the ozone generator to access the old or used UVlamp housing, which houses the old UV lamps. The user can thendisconnected the electrical and physical connections, and connect thereceived UV lamp housing with the new UV lamps therein, to moreefficiently replace the UV lamps, as described herein. In oneembodiment, the user is provided an incentive, such as a reduced pricefor the new UV lamp housing, a rebate for the old UV lamp housing, orcompliance with a service contract, or some other incentive to returnthe old UV lamp housing to the manufacturer or distributor of the UVlamp housing. Shipping costs can be paid by the manufacturer ordistributor as a part of the incentive. In another embodiment, as a partof a service contract or otherwise, the manufacturer or distributor cansend service personnel to where the ozone generator is located toreplace the UV lamp housing and UV lamps therein according to the methodof replacing the UV lamp housing and UV lamps therein described herein.In either embodiments, the manufacturer or distributor can efurbish theUV lamp housing by replacing the UV lamps, checking the electricalconnections, replacing any electrical connections that may needreplacing and possibly even verifying air flow and ozone generationperformance of the refurbished UV lamp housing prior to redistributingthe refurbished UV lamp housing.

As described herein, the first described ozone generator 1, as well asthe other ozone generator 38 described herein, in a similar fashion asthe first described ozone generator 1 herein, may use a controller, suchas the controller shown and described in FIG. 29, in a similar fashionto optimize the ozone generated by the ozone generator. Furtherreferring to FIG. 29, a further embodiment of the ozone generator 3000,similar to previously described ozone generators herein, is provided inwhich the ozone generator 3000 optimizes the production of ozone byusing closed-loop control. As previously described, use of a controller3002 having an control application 3006 that utilizes closed-loopcontrol ensures optimal ozone concentration is generated by the ozonegenerator 3000 by factoring out variations in ozone generation that canbe caused by change in temperature, sizes of inlets and outlets, lampintensity, humidity and other factors. The ozone generator 3000 issimilar to the ozone generators disclosed in the previously describedembodiments of the present invention as depicted in FIGS. 1 to 29 inthat it comprises a portable housing with an air inlet and an ozoneoutlet, an ultraviolet housing with an air inlet and an ozone outlet, aset of ballasts, and a control unit with a timer for operating thegenerator, among other components and elements. In one embodiment, thecontroller 3002 and the control application 3006 therein is programmedto not turn on the closed-loop control until after completion of a warmup period. In one embodiment, the warm up period corresponds to theamount of time between when power for ozone generator is turned on andwhen the set of UV lamps have reached maximum intensity. One way tomeasure when this warm up period has ended is to utilize a temperaturesensor to measure lamp temperature 3040. The controller 3002 and thecontrol application 3006 therein can compare the measured temperaturewith a predetermined steady state lamp temperature and determine if thepredetermined steady state lamp temperature has been met. If yes, the UVlamps can be considered to have reached the maximum or steady statetemperature, and the closed loop control can then be started. Othermethods, such as determining when the rate of change of the measuredtemperature is zero or close to zero, can be used to conclude that theUV lamps have reach the maximum or steady state temperature, fordetermining when to begin closed loop control.

As previously described, in one embodiment, the controller 3002 and thecontrol application 3006 therein can include a set point, one or moreinput signals one or more output signals, in a feedback looparrangement. The controller 3002 and control application 3006 thereinreceives an input signal that corresponds to a concentration of ozone3014 leaving ozone generator from ozone outlet. The concentration ofozone leaving ozone generator 100 is measured using a meter or sensor,which in one embodiment should be able to accurately measure theconcentration of ozone in parts per million at high concentrationswithout sustaining damage as a result of exposure to ozone. The meter isplaced proximate or next to the ozone outlet so that the concentrationof ozone that exits ozone outlet can be determined. The concentration ofozone exiting ozone outlet corresponds to the concentration of ozone3014 that ozone generator is producing at the time of measurement. Themeter or sensor generates an input signal, which is transmitted to thecontroller 3002. As preciously described, the controller 3002 andcontrol application therein 3006 runs an algorithm to compare the inputsignal to the set point. The algorithm can be configured to optimize theconcentration of ozone in relation to outputs, such as the speed of avariable speed blower 3008, as previously described, to ensure that theconcentration of ozone produced by the ozone generator exceeds a minimalthreshold as reflected in FIG. 30. Continuing with additional referenceto FIG. 30, the actual operating speed of blower or air speed 3030 issent as a feedback signal to the controller 3002, so that the speed ofblower 3008 may be adjusted depending on the concentration of ozone 3014being produced. An output signal is then generated that depends on thedifference between the set point and the input signal and the feedbacksignal. In one embodiment, optimal ozone concentration 3014 is producedwhen the set point and input signal are equal and blower is running atspeeds between B1 and B2, shown in FIG. 30. When the controller 3002 andcontrol application 3006 therein are operating, maximum concentration ofozone will be produced at speeds between B1 and B2.

In one embodiment, variable speed blower blows the air entering ozonegenerator towards the set of UV lamps so that the air may be exposed tothe radiation being emitted from the set of UV lamps. The variable speedblower has an adjustable speed 3008 which depends on the output signalfrom the controller 3002. The output signal will cause the adjustablespeed 3008 to increase or decrease depending on the concentration ofozone that is being produced by ozone generator 3000. The controllerwill use the feedback input signal (the ozone concentration 3014 and/orother inputs) and continue to transmit an output signal telling thevariable speed blower to adjust the fan speed 3008 until it reaches theoptimal speed (between B1 and B2 as shown on FIG. 30) to produce maximumconcentration of ozone, as described herein.

According to one embodiment, the ozone generator 1 includes a pluralityof UV lamp housings 20 (not shown), each UV lamp housing 20 including aplurality of UV lamps 27. For example, the ozone generator can include asecond UV lamp housing 20 that is in series with, or parallel to, afirst UV lamp housing 20. In such embodiments, the ozone generator 1 caninclude a second set of lamp ballasts 21, a second air inlet 22, asecond ozone outlet 23, and/or a second diverter 16, so as to increasethe utility and efficiency of the ozone generator 1. According to oneembodiment, the air inlet(s) 22 and/or ozone outlet(s) 23 may be placedin various locations around the housing 2. For example, the air inlet(s)22 could be placed on an opposite side of the housing 2 than the ozoneoutlet(s) 23.

According to one embodiment, the ozone generator 1 further includesmounting bumpers (not shown) adjacent to each UV lamp housing forsecuring the UV lamp housing and protecting it from unnecessary movementor jarring forces that could shorten the life of the UV lamps within.According to one embodiment, the ozone generator 1 further includes anair filter (not shown) to remove particulates from ambient air.According to one embodiment, the ozone generator 1 further includes ashut-off valve (not shown) adjacent to the ozone outlet 23. The shut-offvalve may include a handle for manually opening or closing the valve.

A user can implement the following method of operating an ozonegenerator with any of the embodiments of the ozone generator disclosedherein. First, the respective ozone generator is put in a place wherethe air is to be treated. The person should put the ozone generator thatconsists of a portable housing with an air inlet and an ozone outlet, anUV housing that fits inside the portable housing, wherein theultraviolet housing contains a set of ultraviolet lamps that emitultraviolet radiation, a blower that is located within the portablehousing, and a control unit with a timer that is connected to thehousing for operating the ozone generator, inside the place to betreated. The place may be any room in a house, building, or sealablestructure. The person then should exit the place to be treated, andconfirm that the place to be treated is unoccupied and enclosed. Aftermaking this determination, the person can turn the ozone generator onusing the control unit from outside of the enclosed place. The user canset the timer to run the ozone generator for desired periods of time.For example, the operator may set the timer to run for 15 minuteintervals over a 24-hour period. The user can then leave the ozonegenerator to run for a sufficient amount of time that will allow forsufficient release of ozone into the place for treatment. The time fortreating a place will vary depend on the concentration of ozone beingreleased, the rate of flow of ozone into the place, and the size of theplace that is being treated. After the ozone generator has been left onfor a sufficient amount of time, the ozone generator may be turned offusing the control unit or automatically set off by the timer.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of thepresent invention, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, arepossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations andmodifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of theinvention without substantially departing from the spirit and principlesof the invention. All such modifications are intended to be includedherein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention andprotected by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An ozone generator comprising: a portable housingincluding a first air inlet and a first ozone outlet, wherein the firstair inlet has a first diameter and the first ozone outlet has a seconddiameter; a UV lamp housing including a second air inlet, a second ozoneoutlet, an inner surface and an outer surface, and a set of UV lamps foremitting UV radiation for generating ozone, wherein the set of UV lampsincludes a plurality of individual UV lamps arranged within the UV lamphousing for applying UV radiation from the set of UV lamps to air as theair moves through the UV lamp housing; a blower contained within theportable housing, wherein the blower moves the air into contact with theradiation from the set of UV lamps; a set of ballasts contained withinthe portable housing and in electrical connection with the set of UVlamps; a controller having a control application for execution withinthe controller, for controlling the operation of the ozone generator; aninput sensor connected to the controller and located proximate to thefirst ozone outlet for sensing concentration of ozone exiting the firstozone outlet of the portable housing and for transmitting an ozoneconcentration signal representative of the concentration of the ozoneexiting the first ozone outlet to the controller, wherein the controllerand the application therein are configured to receive the ozoneconcentration signal and utilize a predetermined algorithm and the ozoneconcentration signal to determine an output signal; and an output deviceconfigured to adjust an inlet size of the second air inlet and an outletsize of the second ozone outlet to affect the concentration of the ozoneexiting the first ozone outlet, wherein the controller transmits theoutput signal to the output device to control the output deviceaccording to the output signal.
 2. The ozone generator of claim 1,further comprising: a temperature input sensor for sensing a temperatureproximate the set of UV lamps within the UV lamp housing forcommunicating a temperature signal to the controller that isrepresentative of the temperature proximate the set of UV lamps withinthe UV lamp housing, wherein the controller is configured to receive thetemperature signal and determine an appropriate output signal totransmit to the output device to modify operation of the output devicebased on the temperature signal received from the temperature inputsensor.
 3. The ozone generator of claim 1, further comprising: an airspeed input sensor for sensing an air speed proximate at least one ofthe first air inlet and the first ozone outlet for communicating an airspeed signal to the controller that is representative of the air speedproximate at least one of the first air inlet and the first ozoneoutlet, wherein the controller is configured to receive the air speedsignal and determine an appropriate output signal to transmit to theoutput device to modify operation of the output device based on the airspeed signal received from the air speed input sensor.
 4. The ozonegenerator of claim 1, further comprising: an air volume input sensor forsensing an air volume passing through at least one of the first airinlet and the first ozone outlet over time, for communicating an airvolume signal to the controller that is representative of the air volumethat is passing through at least one of the first air inlet and thefirst ozone outlet over time, wherein the controller is configured toreceive the air volume signal and determine an appropriate output signalto transmit to the output device to modify operation of the outputdevice based on the air volume signal received from the air volume inputsensor.
 5. The ozone generator of claim 1, further comprising: ahumidity input sensor for sensing a humidity within the portable housingfor communicating a humidity signal to the controller that isrepresentative of the humidity within the portable housing, wherein thecontroller is configured to receive the humidity signal and determine anappropriate output signal to transmit to the output device to modifyoperation of the output device based on the humidity signal receivedfrom the humidity input sensor.
 6. The ozone generator of claim 1,wherein the set of UV lamps is maintained at a temperature range of20-25° C. during operation.
 7. The ozone generator of claim 1, whereinthe controller further includes a switch for turning power on and off, aplurality of UV lamp switches for turning each UV lamp of the set of UVlamps on and off, and a timing control unit for automatically turningpower on and off at predetermined times for the UV lamps.
 8. The ozonegenerator of claim 1, wherein the ozone that is produced has aconcentration of at least 75 ppm.
 9. The ozone generator of claim 1,wherein the controller includes a timer for controlling when power issupplied to and shut off from the set of UV lamps.
 10. The ozonegenerator of claim 1, wherein the UV lamp housing that includes the setof UV lamps is positioned within the portable housing, the set of UVlamps extend from a first end of the UV lamp housing to a second end ofthe UV lamp housing, the set of UV lamps include a first UV lamp and asecond UV lamp, the first UV lamp is positioned adjacent a first side ofthe UV lamp housing and the second UV lamp is positioned adjacent asecond side of the UV lamp housing.
 11. The ozone generator of claim 10,wherein each UV lamp of the set of UV lamps is spaced apart from eachother by a distance of at least 2.0 inches.
 12. The ozone generator ofclaim 10, further comprising: means for releaseably attaching the UVlamp housing to the portable housing; and an electrical connector forattaching at least one UV lamp of the set of UV lamps within the UV lamphousing to at least one of the set of ballasts for efficient removal andreplacement of the UV lamp housing within the ozone generator.
 13. Theozone generator of claim 10, wherein the first UV lamp is positionedfarther from the first side of the UV lamp housing than the second airinlet is to the first side.
 14. The ozone generator of claim 13, whereinthe second UV lamp is positioned farther from the second side of the UVlamp housing than the second ozone outlet is to the second side.
 15. Theozone generator of claim 10, wherein the first diameter of the first airinlet and the second diameter of the first ozone outlet are determinedbased on at least one UV lamp of the set of operating UV lamps operatingwithin the UV lamp housing, an intensity of the set of UV lamps, and ablower speed of the blower.
 16. The ozone generator of claim 1, whereinthe output device is configured to adjust a lamp intensity of at leastone of the UV lamps within the UV lamp housing to affect theconcentration of the ozone exiting the first ozone outlet.
 17. The ozonegenerator of claim 16, wherein the output device is configured to adjusta blower speed of the blower to affect the concentration of the ozoneexiting the first ozone outlet.
 18. The ozone generator of claim 1,wherein the first diameter of the first air inlet is greater than thesecond diameter of the first ozone outlet.
 19. The ozone generator ofclaim 1, further including a plurality of baffles positioned within theUV lamp housing for dispersing the air as the air moves through the UVlamp housing.